The Future looks Bark 239 



for me at the station in Munich. We paid a visit to an aunt 

 of Felix, who lived there, a Countess von Salm-Hoegstraeten, 

 whose husband was not at home, but in Bonn with one of his 

 brothers. We passed a pleasant day with the Countess and 

 her daughter, who were charmmg, kind people, and left on 

 March 2, early in the morning. 



Arriving in Bonn at half-past nine p.m., we were received at 

 the station by the Counts Albrecht and Hermann Salm- 

 Hoegstraeten, who has a house m Bonn. We stayed next 

 day in this city, with which I was very much pleased. 



In the afternoon we received a visit from the eldest son of 

 my husband's brother, Leopold, the hereditary Prince of the 

 house of Salm-Salm, whom I saw here for the first time, as he 

 did not live in Schloss Anholt, but in Godesberg, where he 

 was under hydropathic treatment. This important personage 

 did not say much, but stared all the afternoon in my face. 



We returned to Anholt rather sad and discouraged, for our 

 future looked dark. Without having arranged with his clamour- 

 ing creditors my husband could not think of entering the army. 

 This arrangement became more difficult every day, for as soon 

 as the creditors were aware of the desire to settle, and that the 

 reigning Prince was willing to assist, their exactions became 

 extravagant beyond all reasonable bounds. Under such cir- 

 cumstances it was impossible for us to remain in Germany, and 

 we seriously reflected on leaving it again, but where to go we 

 did not know. 



Though my brother-in-law and his family did all they could 

 to make us feel at home, we could not shake oft' our sad 

 thoughts. We were groping in the dark, and for a long time 

 we could not come to any resolution. 



Life in Anholt went on as usual in a quiet way, and was 

 only interrupted now and then by visits from relations or visits 

 we paid to them. Amongst others we visited the widow of 

 Prince Emil Salm, a brother of Alfred and Felix, who lived in 

 Cleve, where her two sons were at a college. Her name was 

 Minna. Felix liked her very much. 



Time passed on without anything definitive being decided 

 in reference to us. Alfred, however, endeavoured to come :o 

 an arrangement with my husband's creditors, and to facilitate 

 this it was thought expedient that we should leave Germany 

 for a time. 



